Cycle management system with locking mechanism

ABSTRACT

An object management system and locking mechanism and method, such as may be used in a bicycle rental station. The system comprises a plurality of docking stations and a terminal connected to the docking stations by a network. At least one of the docking stations includes the locking mechanism for locking a connecting member secured to a bicycle or other object. The locking mechanism comprises a locking receptacle configured to receive the connecting member; a movable member positioned in the locking receptacle, the movable member having a lockable position and an unlockable position; and a locking member having a locked position and an unlocked position. The locking member is configured to secure the movable member, the movable member is configured to secure the connecting member, and the locking member is configured to rotate to switch between the locked position and unlocked position.

BACKGROUND

Bicycle rental systems include several rental/docking stations locatedin different parts of a city that allow a user to rent, pick up, andreturn a cycle. To prevent theft, the docking stations include a lockingmechanism to lock the cycle to a dock, post, or other fixed structurebetween rental periods. When a user wishes to rent a cycle from adocking station, the user is required to provide some form of payment oridentification to validate the rental and unlock the cycle. When therental is complete, the user returns the cycle to the docking stationwhere the cycle is again locked via the locking mechanism.

SUMMARY

Some aspects include a locking mechanism for locking a connecting membersecured to a cycle or other object. The locking mechanism may comprise alocking receptacle configured to receive the connecting member; amovable member positioned in the locking receptacle, the movable memberhaving a lockable position and an unlockable position; and a lockingmember having a locked position and an unlocked position. The lockingmember may be configured to secure the movable member when the movablemember is in the lockable position and the locking member is in thelocked position. The movable member may be configured to secure theconnecting member when the movable member is in the lockable positionwhile the connecting member is disposed within the locking receptacle.The locking member may be configured to move to switch between thelocked position and the unlocked position.

Further aspects include a method for operating a locking mechanism on astructure to lock an object to the structure. The method may comprisereceiving a connecting member attached to the object in a lockingreceptacle of the locking mechanism, the connecting member comprising aprojection having a first edge and a second edge, opposite the firstedge of the projection; rotating a movable member from a first positionto a second position due to force applied by the first edge of theprojection against a first edge of the movable member, wherein themovable member comprises a second edge opposite the first edge of themovable member, and rotation of the movable member positions the secondedge of the movable member adjacent the second edge of the projectionwhen the movable member is in the second position; and displacing anadditional member into a position adjacent the movable member at whichthe additional member blocks rotation of the movable member from thesecond position toward the first position.

Additional aspects include an object management system. The objectmanagement system may comprise a plurality of docking stations and aterminal connected to the plurality of docking stations by a network. Atleast one of the plurality of docking stations may include a key readerconfigured to read a key and a locking mechanism for locking aconnecting member secured to an object. The locking mechanism mayinclude a locking receptacle configured to receive the connectingmember; a movable member positioned in the locking receptacle, themovable member having a lockable position and an unlockable position;and a locking member having a locked position and an unlocked position.The locking member may be configured to secure the movable member whenthe movable member is in the lockable position and the locking member isin the locked position. The movable member may be configured to securethe connecting member when the movable member is in the lockableposition while the connecting member is disposed within the lockingreceptacle. The locking member may be configured to move to switchbetween the locked position and the unlocked position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not necessarily intended to be drawn toscale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical componentthat is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral.For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in everydrawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cycle and a docking station accordingto an embodiment;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are top and bottom, respectively, views of a lockingreceptacle and a connecting member in an undocked position according tosome embodiments;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are bottom views of the locking receptacle andconnecting member of FIGS. 2A and 2B with the connecting member advancedtoward a dockable position and in a contacting position, respectively,according to some embodiments;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are bottom views of the locking receptacle andconnecting member of FIGS. 2A and 2B with the connecting member advancedfurther to the dockable position than FIGS. 3A and 3B according to someembodiments;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the locking receptacle and connecting memberof FIGS. 2A and 2B with the connecting member advanced to the dockableposition according to some embodiments;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the locking receptacle according tosome embodiments;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the locking receptacle and connectingmember of FIGS. 2A and 2B according to some embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the locking receptacle and connecting member ofFIGS. 2A and 2B according to some embodiments;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are top perspective views of a portion of the lockingreceptacle and locking member with the locking member in an unlockedposition and a locked position, respectively, according to someembodiments;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are bottom perspective views of a portion of the lockingreceptacle and the locking member of FIGS. 8A and 8B with the lockingmember in an unlocked positions and a locked position, respectively,according to some embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a perspective exploded view of a near field communicationreader area of the locking receptacle according to some embodiments;

FIG. 11A is a bottom perspective view of the connecting member and thelocking member with the locking member in an unlocked position and amovable member in a lockable position according to some embodiments;

FIG. 11B is a bottom perspective view of the connecting member and thelocking member with the locking member in an unlocked position and themovable member in an unlockable position according to some embodiments;

FIG. 11C is a bottom perspective view of the connecting member and thelocking member with the locking member in a locked position and themovable member in a lockable position according to some embodiments;

FIG. 12A is a top perspective view of the connecting member and thelocking member with the locking member in an unlocked position and amovable member in a lockable position according to some embodiments;

FIG. 12B is a top perspective view of the connecting member and thelocking member with the locking member in a nearly locked position andthe movable member in a lockable position according to some embodiments;

FIG. 12C is a top perspective view of the connecting member and thelocking member with the locking member in a locked position and themovable member in a lockable position according to some embodiments;

FIG. 13A is a front perspective view of the connecting member and thelocking member with the locking member in an unlocked position accordingto some embodiments;

FIG. 13B is a front perspective view of the connecting member and thelocking member with the locking member in a locked position according tosome embodiments;

FIG. 14A is a rear perspective view of the locking member and a motorwith the locking member in a locked position according to someembodiments;

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of the locking member and the motor withthe locking member in a locked position according to some embodiments;

FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C are perspective views of a bias spring and themovable member according to some embodiments;

FIG. 15D is a top view of the bias spring and the movable memberaccording to some embodiments;

FIG. 16A is a top view of the movable member according to someembodiments;

FIG. 16B is a perspective view of the movable member according to someembodiments;

FIGS. 17A and 17B are perspective views of the locking member and a wormgear according to some embodiments;

FIGS. 17C and 17D are perspective views of the locking member accordingto some embodiments;

FIG. 18 is a flow chart of a method for operating a locking mechanism ona structure to lock an object according to some embodiments;

FIGS. 19A and 19B are top and bottom, respectively, views of a lockingreceptacle and a connecting member in an undocked position according toalternative embodiments;

FIGS. 20A and 20B are top and bottom, respectively, views of the lockingreceptacle and connecting member of FIGS. 19A and 19B with theconnecting member advanced toward a dockable position according toalternative embodiments;

FIGS. 21A and 21B are top and bottom, respectively, views of the lockingreceptacle and connecting member of FIGS. 19A and 19B with theconnecting member advanced to the dockable position according toalternative embodiments;

FIGS. 22A and 22B are perspective views of a movable member of thelocking receptacle and the connecting member of FIGS. 19A and 19B withthe connecting member in the lockable position, but unlocked and locked,respectively, according to alternative embodiments; and

FIG. 23 is a top plan view of the movable member of FIGS. 19A and 19Baccording to alternative embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventors have recognized and appreciated that a problem withcurrent locking mechanisms used in cycle rental systems and systems thatsimilarly secure objects is that they are not sufficiently strong ortheft-proof. Locking mechanisms that rely on a shaft entering anaperture may break, malfunction, or be manipulated to unlock withoutpermission. Such aperture-based locking mechanisms also require asubstantial alignment between the aperture and the path of the shaftwhen the shaft is actuated. If the aperture and shaft are notsubstantially aligned, the shaft will not enter the aperture, resultingin a failure to lock, damage to the locking mechanism, and/or amalfunction of the locking mechanism. Ensuring such a good alignment canbe a manufacturing challenge as well as a challenge to a user.

The good alignment required between the shaft and aperture must also bemaintained while the shaft is in motion—otherwise friction may preventthe movement from completing, resulting in failure to return or removean object. To alleviate such alignment problems, lateral ball plungershave been used. These ball plungers, positioned within the lockingmechanism, engage recesses in a connecting member on the cycle when theconnecting member is pushed into position for locking. These ballplungers increase complexity and cost while leading to other problems.For example, when a cycle is locked in the locking mechanism and theball plungers are held in a compressed position, the ball plungers aresusceptible to water ingress. Water accumulates behind the balls and, ifthe water freezes, the ball plungers will be jammed, potentiallypreventing removal of the cycle. Another undesirable side effect of theball plungers is that they increase the force required to insert a cycleinto the locking mechanism or remove a cycle, which a user must apply towork against the ball plungers.

The inventors have recognized and appreciated that another issue withcurrent locking mechanisms is ensuring that the cycle is properly lockedwhen the user returns it to the docking station. When a user returns acycle, the lock may malfunction, but some users may reasonably believethat the cycle is properly locked and leave the cycle unsecured. Forexample, the ball plungers may engage with the connecting member tomislead a user into believing a cycle is fully returned and secured whenit is not. Such misleading can occur because the ball plungers hold thecycle in place to maintain alignment, which may suggest to the user thatthe cycle is fully returned and secured. Even if there are visible andaudible cues when the system locks successfully, such as a green lightand a sound, an inattentive user might not notice their absence due tolighting conditions, ambient city street noise, or other distractionsand may continue believing incorrectly that the cycle is fully returnedand secured.

The inventors have recognized and appreciated that prior aperture-basedlocking mechanisms may also be easily damaged. For instance, if a usertries to pull a cycle out of the locking mechanism while the shaft hasonly traveled half of the distance through the aperture, the shaft maybend and prevent the locking mechanism from working properly until thisbent shaft is replaced. Even if the shaft were larger and more resistantto bending, a more powerful motor (using more energy) and a biggeraperture (requiring a heavier connecting member on the cycle) may berequired.

These problems can be particularly severe for cycle rental systems thatare generally deployed in unattended locations over large geographicareas, such as throughout a city. As a further issue, some such cyclerental stations are solar powered, such that making a locking mechanismwith heavier components for secure locking may draw more power than canbe supplied with a solar powered system. Moreover, these systems areusually outside, where they are exposed to the elements or can beaccessed at night by people seeking to steal cycles. Further, suchsystems are often operated by people wanting to rent cycles with nospecial training in the operation of the system.

The inventors have recognized and appreciated that a locking mechanismmay have improved strength, theft-proofing, simplicity, reliability,energy efficiency, and compatibility by not relying on an aperturereceiving a shaft to lock an object. Instead, such an improved lockingmechanism may, according to some embodiments, rely upon a movable memberthat displaces (e.g., rotates) to capture (e.g., encircle) a connectingmember when the connecting member is placed into the locking receptacleof the locking mechanism. Such an improved locking mechanism may haveimproved strength because, according to some embodiments, it may use amovable member that is larger and/or more massive, and thus moreresistant to bending, than the shaft of an aperture-based lockingmechanism or similar components of prior locking mechanisms (forexample, see the movable member 12 according to some embodiments inFIGS. 2A-5, 9A, 9B, and 11A-16B). The improved strength of the movablemember may help to make the locking mechanism more theft-proof, inaddition to other ways described herein.

Such an improved locking mechanism may have improved simplicity—andreduced cost in manufacturing and maintenance—because it may not requireor use ball plungers and may not rely on an aperture that receives ashaft for locking. Rather, the improved locking mechanism, according tosome embodiments, may rely on simple force applied by the user todisplace the movable member closer to a lockable position from anunlockable position. The displacement of the movable member may causethe movable member to capture (e.g., encircle) the connecting member,thereby drawing the connecting member into the lockable position,despite some initial misalignment of the movable member and theconnecting member. The improved locking mechanism's simplicity andflexibility regarding misalignment may help to make the lockingmechanism more reliable. For example, according to some embodiments, atleast a portion of the movable member may be C-shaped to allow themovable member to encircle the connecting member.

The inventors have recognized and appreciated that the improved lockingmechanism may also be more reliable in that it may enable motion of acycle being docked at the station that better communicates to a userthat a cycle is not fully secured than previous locking mechanisms. Forexample, the improved locking mechanism may allow a cycle to move freelywhen the cycle is not fully secured, which would not likely give theuser reason to believe the cycle is fully secured. In the event of apower outage or electronic defect, the improved locking mechanism couldstill allow a cycle to move freely, which may clearly indicate to theuser that the cycle has not been fully secured.

The inventors have recognized and appreciated that the improved lockingmechanism may be more energy efficient than previous locking mechanisms.For example, according to some embodiments, using the user's force todisplace the movable member over some or all of the path between anunlockable and lockable position may allow the movable member to be moremassive but not require a more powerful motor. The inventors haverecognized and appreciated that using the user's force to move themovable member may result in significant energy savings because reducedor no mechanical driving may be needed to place the movable member inthe lockable position. This may be particularly advantageous where theonly power source is solar and/or a battery charged from solar power.

The inventors have recognized and appreciated that the improved lockingmechanism may provide any of the advantages described above and morewhile still being compatible with previous locking mechanisms. Forexample, according to some embodiments, the improved locking mechanismmay support a connecting member that includes an aperture, but theimproved locking mechanism may not rely on the aperture in any way tosecure the connecting member.

Such an improved locking mechanism would be beneficial to use in cyclemanagement systems to lock a cycle to a docking station between rentals.The connecting member may be secured to a bicycle or other cycle andpositioned such that it may be inserted into a locking receptacle of thedocking station when the cycle is pushed into the docking station by auser.

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a cycle management system according tosome embodiments. It should be appreciated that FIG. 1 illustrates whatmay be only one of many docking stations at a cycle rental station. Acycle rental station, for example, may include multiple docking stationsand a payment station or terminal, which may be connected as s systemvia a network. Alternatively or additionally, the cycle rental stationmay include solar panels, batteries, and/or other components. Solarpower may facilitate easy deployment of stations throughout a wide area.Accordingly, the cycle rental station may include a power plant, whichmay use a solar panel and an energy storage device to provide sufficientsolar power such that the cycle rental station may be run without aconnection to a power source external to the station. Such a station isshown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,439, assigned to the presentassignee and incorporated by reference in its entirety.

A cycle 6 may include a connecting member 16, which may include aprojection 18 for engaging with a cycle docking station 2. The cycledocking station 2 may include a locking receptacle 10 for receiving andlocking the connecting member 16 to the cycle docking station 2.

FIGS. 2A-10 illustrate some embodiments of the locking receptacle 10 andthe connecting member 16. The connecting member 16 may include an insertend 16A to be inserted into the locking receptacle 10. As illustrated,the connecting member 16 is triangular shaped and the locking receptacle10 has an opening with sloped walls configured to receive triangularshaped connecting member 16. The sloped walls are designed to guide theconnecting member 16 into a predetermined position as it is pushed intolocking receptacle 10. The insert end 16A is shown to be rounded, butany suitable shape may be used.

The connecting member 16 may also have an attachment end 16B. The insertend 16A may help guide the connecting member 16 into the lockingreceptacle 10. Alternatively, the insert end 16A may be cube-shaped,pyramid-shaped, or any other shape.

According to some embodiments, the connecting member 16 may be formed asan integral part of the cycle 6 or formed separately and attached to thecycle 6 via the attachment end 16B. The attachment end 16B may includecomponents for securing the connecting member 16 to the cycle 6 viascrews or other attachment means. These components may include a torsionspring hole for a torsion spring (not shown) and/or a connecting memberattachment shaft hole for a connecting member attachment shaft (notshown).

According to some embodiments, the locking receptacle 10 may include abike/cycle dock controller (BDC) 50 (shown in FIGS. 2A, 6A, 6B, 8A, 8B,and 10) and a near field communication (NFC) antenna 66 (shown in FIG.10), which may be part of or separate from the BDC 50. The BDC 50 mayread from and/or write to an NFC tag placed near the NFC antenna 66. TheBDC 50 may identify a user, charge the user's account, and unlock acycle 6 by reading from and/or writing to the user's NFC tag, which maybe embodied in a physical card, emulated on a smart phone, or providedin any other suitable way. The BDC 50 may even read from and/or write tothe NFC tag without a user needing to remove the NFC tag from a pocket,bag, or some other enclosure. In some embodiments, the NFC antenna 66may be covered by a plastic window 64 and a sticker 62 and positioned inan NFC reader area 60, as shown in FIG. 10. In embodiments where thelocking receptacle 10 is made of metal or other materials that block orinhibit radio waves, there may be an opening (not shown) centered on theNFC antenna 66. The opening may be filled with plastic or any othermaterial that would allow the NFC antenna 66 to read an NFC tag outsideof the locking receptacle 10.

Alternatively or additionally, the locking receptacle 10 may include aradio frequency identification (RFID) antenna that the BDC 50 may use toread a RFID tag in the connecting member 16 to identify the cycle 6 orother movable object that is being returned to the docking station 2.The RFID tag and the RFID antenna may be located anywhere in theconnecting member 16 and the locking receptacle 10, respectively, thatallows the RFID antenna to read the RFID tag.

In some embodiments, the RFID tag may be located in an RFID tagcompartment in the top of the connecting member 16. The RFID tag may belocated within an RFID tag enclosure inside the RFID tag compartment.The RFID tag enclosure may be a plastic insert allowing the RFID antennato read the RFID tag. In embodiments where the locking receptacle 10 ismade of metal or other materials that block or inhibit radio waves,there may be an opening (not shown) centered on the RFID antenna. Theopening may be filled with plastic or any other material that wouldallow the RFID antenna to read an RFID tag in the RFID tag compartmentof the connecting member 16.

According to some embodiments, the connecting member 16 may include atriangular portion and a projection 18 extending from the triangularportion, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2B-5B. The projection 18 may include afirst edge 18A and a second edge 18B. The second edge 18B may beopposite the first edge 18A of the projection 18. Additionally, theconnecting member 16 may include an aperture 19 (shown in FIGS. 7 and11A-13B), which the locking mechanism may not use in any way to securethe connecting member 16. The aperture 19 may be part of the projection18, crossing the projection 18 in a direction perpendicular to thedirection of motion of the connecting member 16. Additionally, theconnecting member 16 may include a ball plunger recess 17 (shown inFIGS. 7 and 11A-12C), which the locking mechanism may not use in any wayto align or secure the connecting member 16.

According to some embodiments, the locking receptacle 10 may include amovable member 12. The movable member 12 may include a first edge 12Aand a second edge 12B (numbered in FIGS. 16A and 16B). The second edge12B may be opposite the first edge 12A of the movable member 12. Thefirst edge 12A may be concave, flat, or any other suitable shape.

In some embodiments, the movable member 12 may be movable into at leasta first position or a second position. The first position of the movablemember 12 may be an unlockable position (shown in FIGS. 2B-4B). Thesecond position of the movable member 12 may be a lockable position(shown in FIGS. 5, 9A, and 9B). In the unlockable position, edge 12B ofthe movable member 12 may be out of a path of displacement of theconnecting member 16 (as shown in FIGS. 2B-3B), allowing the connectingmember 16 to move freely out of the locking receptacle 10. However, edge12A may be in the path when connecting member 16 is pressed into thelocking receptacle 10, which may impart motion to the movable member 12.That motion may move movable member 12 into the lockable position.

In the lockable position, edge 12B of the movable member 12 may be inthe path of displacement of the connecting member 16 (as shown in FIGS.4A and 4B), preventing the connecting member 16 from moving freely outof the locking receptacle 10. Alternatively or additionally, in theunlockable position, the movable member 12 may not prevent theconnecting member 16 from moving freely out of (or in to) the lockingreceptacle 10, even when the movable member 12 is in the path ofdisplacement of the connecting member 16, if the connecting member 16pushes against the movable member 12.

According to some embodiments, a bias spring 36 (shown in FIGS. 2A, 6A,6B, 10, and 15A-15D) may bias the movable member 12 in the unlockableposition. Alternatively, the bias spring 36 may bias the movable member12 in the lockable position or any other suitable position.Additionally, a shield 40 may be positioned below the movable member 12(as shown in FIG. 2B) to prevent mechanical interference with motion ofthe movable member 12, to prevent electromagnetic interference with theBDC 50, or for any other suitable purpose.

According to some embodiments, movement of the movable member 12 mayposition the second edge 12B of the movable member 12 adjacent thesecond edge 18B of the projection 18 when the movable member 12 is inthe second position. For example, when the movable member 12 rotates tothe lockable position while the connecting member 16 is in the lockingreceptacle 10, the second edge 12B of the movable member 12 may swingaround the projection 18 and be next to the second edge 18B of theprojection 18 (as shown in at least FIGS. 4B, 5, 9A, and 9B).

Motion of movable member 12 may be caused by force applied by connectingmember 16 as it is pressed into locking receptacle 10. Such force may begenerated, for example, by a user pushing a cycle 6, to which connectingmember 16 is attached, into a docking station 2. In the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 3B-5, edge 18A presses against movable member 12 ina direction that is off-axis relative to the axis of a pivot point aboutwhich movable member 12 rotates. Such an off-axis force causes movablemember 12 to rotate. The pivot point may include a pivot pin and amovable member bearing 14. The bias spring 36 may resist this rotationtowards the lockable position.

According to some embodiments, the locking receptacle 10 may include alocking member 24. The locking member 24 may include an eccentricportion 20 and a motor 22. The locking member 24 may be shaped to have alocked and unlocked position. In the locked position, locking member 24may abut movable member 12, preventing movement of movable member 12 inat least one direction. In the unlocked position, locking member 24 maybe separated from movable member 12, allowing it to move. For example,locking member 24 may include a lock side and an unlock side. The lockside may include a tab 26 (shown in at least FIGS. 8A and 9B). The lockside and the unlock side may be formed on the eccentric portion 20.

According to some embodiments, the locking member 24 may be in at leasta first position or a second position depending on the circumstances.The first position may be an unlocked position and the second positionmay be a locked position. Additionally, the locking member 24 may be acylindrical shaft that can axially rotate between the locked positionand the unlocked position. The locking member 24 may be mounted torotate around any axis that, in the locked position, will position aportion of the locking member 24 in the path of a portion of the movablemember 12 as it rotates from the lockable to the unlockable position.That rotation would then remove the locking member 24 from that pathwhen in the unlocked position. In some embodiments, the locking member24 may rotate about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of themovable member 12. However, it is not a requirement that the lockingmember 24 be mounted to rotate, as translation or other movements maymove portions of a locking member between a locked position in which thepath of motion of movable member 12 is blocked and an unlocked positionin which the path is unobstructed. For example, the locking member 24may include a rack and pinion or any other suitable mechanism that canswitch between the locked position and unlocked position to eitherengage or not engage the movable member 12.

According to some embodiments, the unlocked position may be a positionin which the locking member 24 is out of a path of rotation of themovable member 12. For example, in the unlocked position, the lock sideincluding the tab 26 may be out of the path of rotation of the movablemember 12, which may allow the movable member 12 to rotate past theeccentric portion 20. In the locked position (in which the lockingmember 24 may be said to be adjacent the movable member 12), the lockingmember 24 may secure the movable member 12, such as when the movablemember 12 is in the lockable position. For example, the locked positionmay be a position in which the locking member 24, specifically the lockside, is in the path of rotation of the movable member 12 (or the tab isin the path of rotation), which may secure the movable member 12 andprevent or block it from rotating through the locking member 24. In sucha situation, the movable member 12 may secure the connecting member 16when the movable member 12 is in the lockable position while the lockingreceptacle 10 is receiving the connecting member 16.

According to some embodiments, the locking system and mechanism mayfunction by inserting the connecting member 16 into the opening of thelocking receptacle 10. As the connecting member 16 is moved inside thelocking receptacle 10 by a user or any other suitable means, theconnecting member 16 may contact and apply force to the movable member12, driving or pushing the movable member 12. For example, the firstedge 18A of the projection 18 may contact and apply force against thefirst edge 12A of the movable member 12, causing the movable member 12to displace from the unlockable position to the lockable position. Themovable member 12 may displace by translation, rotation, or any othersuitable form of displacement.

According to some embodiments, the movable member 12, when in thelockable position, may trigger a cycle present switch (not shown).Triggering the cycle present switch may generate a control signal thatcan lead to activation of an actuator, causing the locking member 24 toengage the movable member 12 by rotating to the locked position. Thecycle present switch may be a mechanical switch that directly triggersthe motor 22 that drives the locking member 24, or the cycle presentswitch may trigger the motor 22 for the locking member 24 indirectly byalerting the BDC 50 to the potential presence of a cycle 6. The BDC 50may then attempt to verify the presence of the cycle 6, and if thepresence is verified, the BDC 50 may trigger the motor 22 to rotate thelocking member 24. Alternatively, the cycle present switch may beoptical, magnetic, or any other type of switch. For example, the cyclepresent switch could be a reed switch or a Hall Effect sensor.Alternatively, the locking mechanism may detect that the movable member12 is in the lockable position in any suitable way.

According to some embodiments, the cycle present switch may be locatedalong the path of rotation of the movable member 12 such that themovable member 12 will trigger the cycle present switch when the movablemember 12 is rotated to the lockable position. Alternatively, the cyclepresent switch 160 may be triggered indirectly by the movable member 12through one or more objects. In some embodiments, a plunger (not shown)may be positioned along the path of rotation of the movable member 12.When the movable member 12 rotates to the lockable position, the movablemember 12 may contact and displace the plunger. The plunger may triggerthe cycle present switch when the plunger is displaced a determineddistance. The plunger also may include or be connected to a switchtrigger (not shown) that triggers the cycle present switch when theplunger is displaced. A spring (not shown) may also be provided. Whenthe movable member 12 is not in the lockable position, the plunger mayreturn to its default (non-triggering) position by the means of thespring. A stopper (not shown) may also be provided to prohibit theplunger from displacing too far. Providing a plunger to indirectlytrigger the cycle present switch may protect the switch. For example, ifa cycle 6 is inserted at high velocity (e.g., approximately ten milesper hour or greater) or if a foreign object (e.g., hammer, screwdriver,etc.) is inserted into the locking receptacle 10 such as in a theftattempt, the plunger, rather than the cycle present switch, may besubjected to correspondingly strong forces transferred by the movablemember 12. Further, the plunger will hit the stopper to inhibit itsdisplacement, preventing undue forces on the cycle present switch.

According to some embodiments, the cycle present switch may be mountedon the BDC 50, which has the advantage of reduced assembly complexity,higher reliability due to less connectors and less cables, and reducedcosts. Alternatively, the cycle present switch may be separate from theBDC 50 and connected to the BDC 50 using any suitable mechanism such aswires or connectors.

According to some embodiments, the cycle present switch or an additionalcycle present switch may also detect whether the connecting member 16 isin the locking receptacle 10. For example, the cycle present switch mayensure that both the connecting member 16 is in the locking receptacle10 and the movable member 12 is in the lockable position beforetriggering the locking member 24 to enter the locked position.

According to some embodiments, the locking receptacle 10 may includeposition sensors 80 (shown at least in FIG. 6A) to detect the locked andunlocked positions of the locking member 24. The position sensors 80 candetermine the position of the locking member 24 (locked or unlocked)based on which sensors are obstructed by the eccentric portion 20 of thelocking member 24. The position sensors 80 may be mounted on the BDC 50or separately connected to the BDC 50.

According to some embodiments, the locking member 24 may prevent themovable member 12 from rotating from the unlockable position to thelockable position by being in the locked position while the movablemember is in the unlockable position. For example, the BDC 50 may beprogrammed to receive a connecting member only after receiving a signalfrom a terminal (as described below), such as a signal indicating that acycle 6 needs to be returned to the docking station 2. Alternatively,the locking member 24 may always be in the unlocked position when themovable member 12 is in the unlockable position, allowing the lockingreceptacle 10 to receive a connecting member 16 at any time.

According to some embodiments, when the connecting member 16 is in theproper locking position, the movable member 12 and the locking member 24may be triggered (e.g., by actuating of the cycle present switch) tomaintain the lockable position and the locked position, respectively.The movable member 12 may maintain the lockable position and the lockingmember 24 may maintain the locked position until a user completes arental transaction to rent the cycle 6 or other movable object.

According to some embodiments, the locking member 24 may be positionedin the locking receptacle 10 such that when it is in the unlockedposition, the movable member 12 may be freely rotated between thelockable position and the unlockable position. When the locking member24 is in the locked position, at least a part of the locking member 24may protrude into the path of rotation of the movable member 12 toengage at least a portion of the movable member 12 to prevent rotationof the movable member 12. The locking member 24 may switch from thelocked position to the unlocked position, or vice versa, by any motion(e.g., rotation, pivoting, actuation, articulation, elevation, etc.).

According to some embodiments, the locking member 24 may be positionedwithin the locking receptacle 10 parallel to the direction of insertionof the connecting member 16 and perpendicular to an aperture 19 of theconnecting member 16. Alternatively, the locking member 24 may bepositioned within the locking receptacle 10 perpendicular to thedirection of insertion of the connecting member 16 and parallel to anaperture 19 of the connecting member 16 or in any other suitableorientation.

In some embodiments, the locking member 24 and movable member 12 may beshaped and positioned such that the locking member 24 may contact themovable member 12 at a first distance from the axis of rotation of themovable member 12, and such that the second edge 18B of the projection18 may contact the movable member 12 at a second distance to the axis ofrotation of the movable member 12. The first distance may be fartherfrom the axis than the second distance. Such a configuration may resultin less force transferred to the locking member 24 should someoneattempt to remove a cycle 6 forcefully. In some embodiments, the ratioof the first distance to the second distance may be between 3:1 and 7:1.For example, when that ratio is 5:1, a force of 50 pounds on the cycle 6may result in only 10 pounds at the contact point with the lockingmember 24.

According to some embodiments, the locking member 24 may be supported onsupport ends by locking member support bearings 25 on bearing surfaces21 (shown in FIGS. 14B and 17A-17D). The locking member support bearings25 may allow axial rotation of the locking member 24 while inhibitingother movement of the locking member 24. The locking member 24 may bepositioned to align with the movable member 12 when the movable member12 is in the lockable position. In the unlocked position, the lockingmember 24 may be rotated such that the tab 26 is positioned away fromthe movable member 12, allowing the movable member 12 to be rotatedfreely. In the locked position, the locking member 24 may be rotatedsuch that the lock side and the tab 26 protrude into the path ofrotation of the movable member 12, engaging the movable member 12.

According to some embodiments, the tab 26 may include a plastic insert27 (shown in FIGS. 14B, 17A, 17B, and 17D) on the surface facing movablemember 12. The plastic insert 27 may reduce friction between the lockingmember 24 and the movable member 12, especially in comparison to thefriction between two metal surfaces. The plastic insert 27 may befastened to the tab 26 using a screw, a bolt, or any other suitablefastener.

According to alternative embodiments (as shown in FIGS. 19A-23), theunlock side of the locking member 24 may include a cutout 23 (shown inFIGS. 22A and 22B). In the unlocked position for the locking member 24,the unlock side including the cutout 23 may be in the path of rotationof the movable member 12, which may allow the movable member 12 torotate through the cutout 23. In the locked position (in which thelocking member 24 may be said to be adjacent the movable member 12), thelocking member 24 may secure the movable member 12, such as when themovable member 12 is in the lockable position. For example, the lockedposition may be a position in which the locking member 24, specificallythe lock side, is in the path of rotation of the movable member 12 (orthe cutout 23 is out of the path of rotation), which may secure themovable member 12 and prevent or block it from rotating through thelocking member 24.

The cutout 23 of the locking member 24 may extend into the eccentricportion 20 to a distance of half of the diameter (or the radius) of theeccentric portion 20 and along a length of the eccentric portion 20.These alternative embodiments provide some advantages. For example, ifthe cutout 23 extends to about half of the diameter of the eccentricportion 20, a forceful attempt to remove a locked cycle 6 will make thecontact point between the movable member 12 and the eccentric portion 20near the rotation axis of the eccentric portion 20. This makes most ofthe force linear and directed towards the outside, minimizing rotationalforce that could reversibly rotate the locking member 24. Minimizing therotational force is advantageous because it prevents wear and tear onany gear teeth or other vulnerable components the system may have.Additionally, the eccentric portion 20 and/or cutout 23 may have a shapethat, as the locking member 24 rotates to the locked position, guidesand pushes the movable member 12 into the fully lockable position. Thismay be advantageous in that a user may not be required to push theconnecting member 16 all the way into the locking receptacle 10 so thatthe movable member 12 enters the fully lockable position, as the lockingmember 24 may assist.

According to some embodiments, the locking member 24 may be rotatedbetween its locked and unlocked positions using the motor 22 of thelocking receptacle 10. A worm drive may also be used with a reductionratio and geometry chosen to achieve self-locking. A worm 28 may bedriven directly from the motor 22 of the locking receptacle 10. Themotor 22 may be a simple (rather than “gearhead”) direct current (DC)motor with a high rotations per minute (RPM) and may be controlled bythe BDC 50. Such a motor 22 provides important advantages. For example,the motor 22 is easier to control than a stepper motor due to simplerelectronics. The motor 22 also may have a lower rotor inertia than aconventional motor, and so it can accelerate and decelerate at steeperrates, allowing acceptable locking times. Moreover, the worm 28 mayconvert the motor's 22 high RPM into higher torque. In addition, themotor 22 does not require much current during normal operation and onlyrequires a higher current if the mechanism is difficult to move (e.g.,if the mechanism is stiffened by dirt or wear). On the other hand, astepper motor tends to require far more current than a simple DC motor,even when less current would have been sufficient to complete movementsfor locking or unlocking. In solar- and/or battery-powered embodiments,lower current requirements are especially advantageous.

The worm drive also provides advantages. In alternative embodiments, aGeneva drive mechanism may be used to rotate the locking member 24.However, the Geneva drive has a lower reduction ratio than the wormdrive. Therefore, the Geneva drive would require additional gearingbetween the DC motor and the Geneva drive to increase the torque of thelocking member 24. Nevertheless, any other suitable irreversible drivemay be used in place of the worm drive.

The motor 22, fastened to the locking receptacle 10, may drive the worm28 supported at both ends by sleeve bearings 30 (shown in FIGS.11A-12C). The worm 28 matches a worm gear 32 connected to the lockingmember 24 via a worm gear connector 34 (shown in FIG. 14A). The sleevebearings 30 may protect the motor 22 from excessive forces (e.g., radialor axial) on the worm 28. For example, when the mechanism is not movingfreely (e.g., due to friction or foreign objects inserted near thelocking member 24), great axial forces can be generated due to aclimbing action of the worm 28 on the worm gear 32.

According to some embodiments, the motor 22, fastened to the lockingreceptacle 10, drives a motor shaft supported at both ends by radial andthrust bearings (not shown). Alternatively, the radial and thrustbearings may be any other type of bearings. The worm 28 may be mountedon the motor shaft and match the worm gear 32 connected to the lockingmember 24. The radial and thrust bearings may protect the motor 22 fromexcessive forces on the motor shaft. For example, as in other situationsdescribed, when the mechanism is not moving freely, great axial forcescan be generated due to a climbing action of the worm 28 on the wormgear 32.

According to some embodiments, when the motor 22 receives power, themotor 22 rotates. The direction of the motor's 22 rotation depends onpolarity. The BDC 50 may control the motor's 22 direction of rotation.The axis of the motor 22 may be coupled to the worm 28 by the means of aset screw (not shown). The worm 28 may include a central worm sectionmachined to match the worm gear 32 and two smaller diameter sections atopposite ends of the worm 28 to engage the sleeve bearings 30. Thesleeve bearings 30 may prevent the worm 28 from moving axially andradially, and they may be less expensive and simpler than the radial andthrust bearings. They support the worm 28, which may properly decouplethe axis of the motor 22 from the forces subjected to the worm 28 whenthe motor 22 is operating.

It should be appreciated from the foregoing that some embodiments aredirected to a method for operating the locking mechanism, as illustratedin FIG. 18. The method begins at act 710, at which the connecting member16 attached to the cycle 6 may be received in the locking receptacle 10of the locking mechanism.

The method then proceeds to act 720, at which the movable member 12 maybe rotated from the first position (which may correspond to theunlockable position) to the second position (which may correspond to thelockable position) due to force applied by the first edge 18A of theprojection 18 of the connecting member 16 against the first edge 12A ofthe movable member 12, as described herein.

The method then proceeds to act 730, at which an additional member(which may correspond to the locking member 24) may be displaced into aposition adjacent the movable member 12 at which the additional memberblocks rotation of the movable member 12 from the second position towardthe first position, as described herein.

The method then optionally proceeds to act 740, at which a signal may bereceived from a terminal (as described below) connected to the dockingstation 2. The signal may indicate rental of the cycle 6. For example,after a user has successfully completed a rental transaction at aterminal, this signal may be sent by the terminal to the docking station2.

Optionally, the method then proceeds to act 750, at which the additionalmember may be displaced into a position at which the additional memberis out of the path of rotation of the movable member 12 based on thesignal. For example, the additional member may be rotated to theunlocked position so that the movable member 12 can then fully releasethe cycle 6 to the user.

The method then optionally proceeds to act 760, at which the movablemember 12 may be rotated from the second position to the first positionbased on the signal. For example, after the additional member hasrotated to the unlocked position, the movable member 12 may be triggeredto rotate to the unlockable position, thus fully releasing the cycle 6so that the user can remove it from the locking receptacle 10 and thedocking station 2. Alternatively or additionally, the movable member 12may be rotated by a bias spring 36 from the second position to the firstposition.

The method may then end. However, the method may repeat as many times assuitable so that any number of users may rent and return cycles 6, asdescribed below.

Electronics Platform

The BDC 50 may include a microcontroller, a controller area network(CAN) controller, an NFC reader chip and/or a RFID reader chip, and NFCantenna patterns and/or RFID antenna patterns. The CAN controller may beseparate from the microcontroller or built into the microcontroller.Alternatively to the CAN controller, the BDC 50 may include an RS485bus, with or without additional signals running in parallel to the bus.The BDC 50 may use any suitable communication system or protocol otherthan CAN or RS485, which may or may not require a controller.

The BDC 50 may be on the same plane as the NFC antenna 66 and/or theRFID antenna. The BDC 50 may also be on the same plane as a cycle keyreader, which may be used to read a cycle key (a key that may be used bya user to rent a cycle). The cycle key may alternatively be on adifferent plane than the BDC 50. The NFC tag and/or the RFID tag mayalso be on a different plane than the BDC 50. The cycle key reader maybe a device separate from the NFC antenna 66, such as a legacy systemfor users without NFC tags, and/or the NFC antenna 66 may be used as thecycle key reader with NFC tags. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a cycle keyreader slot 70 into which a user may insert a cycle key. The cycle keyreader may include an antenna board. In some embodiments, the cycle keyreader antenna board may be built-in to the BDC 50. Alternatively, anyof the BDC 50, the NFC antenna 66, the RFID antenna, the cycle keyreader, and the cycle key reader antenna board may be on differentplanes from each other and may be connected by a single connector ormultiple connectors. For example, the BDC 50 may have a connector forconnecting the cycle key reader and its antenna board placed at a higherplane in the docking station 2. This is advantageous because the cyclekey reader may also have any number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) andthe BDC 50 may monitor the states of any number of buttons located nearthe cycle key reader. For example, FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate keypadcode buttons 72, a cycle defect button 74, and LEDs 76. In someembodiments, the keypad code buttons 72 may be used as an alternative tothe cycle key reader and/or the NFC antenna 66. For example, the usermay enter a personal identification number using the keypad code buttons72. Additionally or alternatively, the keypad code buttons 72 may beused to perform maintenance on the locking receptacle 10 or for anyother suitable purpose. In some embodiments, the cycle defect button 74may be used to request a cancellation of a rental transaction if, forexample, the user notices a defect with the cycle 6 at some point duringthe transaction.

Communication Network

In some embodiments, any number of docking stations 2 may be connectedto a terminal as part of a communication network based on CAN or anyother suitable communication system or protocol. Each docking station 2may include a BDC 50, which may include a microcontroller, a CANcontroller, an NFC reader chip and/or RFID antenna, and NFC antennapatterns and/or RFID antenna patterns as discussed above. As previouslydiscussed, the RFID antenna may read the RFID tag of a connecting member16 to identify the attached cycle 6 or other movable object. Eachdocking station 2 may communicate with the terminal through the CAN orsome other communication system. The terminal may be able to performstation inventory to check for errors and determine whether each dockingstation 2 is occupied or available.

The terminal may have its own communication system or protocol, such asCAN, which may be managed through a terminal microcontroller. Theterminal microcontroller may be able to store messages received from anydocking station 2 through the CAN or other communication system andforward the messages to the terminal's central processing unit (CPU).The CPU may be an ARM CPU or any other kind of suitable CPU. Whenrequired, the terminal microcontroller may wake up the CPU from lowpower sleep mode and wait for the CPU to be ready. The CPU may runsoftware that drives the terminal display screen, processestransactions, communicates with a server through another communicationsystem such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), andmanages the connected docking stations 2 (e.g., reports which cycle isdocked where and reports errors).

According to some embodiments, the terminal and/or docking stations 2may be solar and/or battery-powered. It is especially advantageous thento place the microcontrollers and CPUs of the terminal and dockingstations 2 into a low power sleep mode as soon as possible in order tosave power. On the other hand, when something happens on a dockingstation 2, such as a cycle 6 being returned, the terminal needs toanswer a power request from the docking station 2 as soon as possible sothat the system feels as responsive as possible to the users. The timerequired to wake up the terminal microcontroller is less than the timerequired to wake up the CPU. Thus it is advantageous to have theterminal microcontroller handle real-time communications occurring viathe CAN. Less urgent messages such as “Cycle ID 12345 successfullylocked on Docking Station 1” are held in the terminal microcontroller'smemory to be sent to the CPU once the CPU is ready to receive them.These messages are then processed by the terminal software which,following validation, will execute any subsequent operations that may benecessary. Alternatively, the CPU may have a CAN controller and maydirectly handle real-time communications occurring via the CAN.

Exemplary Embodiment Returning a Cycle

The following is an embodiment of the process for a user to return acycle 6.

1. The user pushes the cycle 6 into the docking station 2, therebypushing the movable member 12 from the unlockable position to thelockable position.

2. Step 1 may trigger the cycle present switch, which may wake up theBDC 50 from its low power sleep mode.

3. The BDC 50 may send a power request to the terminal for theanticipated need to lock a cycle 6.

4. The BDC 50 may read the RFID tag using the RFID antenna. If thereading operation fails, the BDC 50 may retry a number of times beforeaborting, whereupon the BDC 50 may send a power done notification to theterminal and return to low power sleep mode. Following this, the BDC 50may make no further attempts to read the RFID tag until the cyclepresent switch is de-triggered and then re-triggered.

5. If the reading operation succeeds, the BDC 50 may wait for theterminal to grant the power request (the BDC 50 may process and transmitthe power request during the RFID reads, reducing delays). If the powerrequest times out, the BDC 50 may produce an error feedback to the userbefore returning to low power sleep mode.

6. If the BDC 50 timely receives the power granted message from theterminal, the BDC 50 may place the locking member 24 into the lockedposition, locking the movable member 12 and thereby the cycle 6. If thelocking operation fails (e.g., jamming occurs), the BDC 50 may returnthe locking member 24 to the unlocked position and the movable member 12to the unlockable position and produce an error feedback (e.g., via anerror sound and/or a red LED) to the user. The BDC 50 may also send apower done request and an error notification to the terminal before theBDC 50 returns to low power sleep mode. Following this, the BDC 50 maymake no further attempts until the cycle present switch is de-triggeredand then re-triggered.

7. If the locking operation succeeds, the BDC 50 may send a power donenotification to the terminal. The BDC 50 may also send a messageindicating that a cycle 6 has been locked. This message may contain atleast the cycle identification number read from the cycle's 6 RFID tag.

8. The BDC 50 may return to low power sleep mode.

Exemplary Embodiment Renting a Cycle

The following is an embodiment of the process for a user to rent a cycle6.

1. The user may interface a cycle key with a cycle key reader on thedocking station 2. As described above, the cycle key may be a NFC tagand the cycle key reader may be the NFC antenna 66.

2. A switch at the bottom of the cycle key reader may wake up the BDC 50from low power sleep mode when the insertion of a cycle key triggers theswitch.

3. The BDC 50 may read the cycle key via the cycle key reader. If thereading operation fails, the BDC 50 may produce an error feedback (e.g.,via an error sound and/or a red LED) to the user and return to low powersleep mode.

4. If the reading operation succeeds, the BDC 50 may send an unlockrequest to the terminal with at least the information from the user'scycle key. The BDC 50 may produce a “please wait” feedback to the userwhile it waits for the terminal to authorize the request. The BDC 50 mayimplement a timeout mechanism. If the BDC 50 has not received an unlockgranted message from the terminal by the end of a determined timeoutperiod, the BDC 50 may produce an error feedback to the user.

5. If the BDC 50 receives the unlock granted message from the terminalby the end of the determined timeout period, the BDC 50 may send a powerrequest to the terminal.

6. The BDC 50 may wait for the terminal to grant the power request. Ifthe power request times out, the BDC 50 may produce an error feedback tothe user before returning to low power sleep mode.

7. If the BDC 50 timely receives the power granted message from theterminal, the BDC 50 may unlock the cycle 6 by rotating the lockingmember 24 to the unlocked position and rotating the movable member 12 tothe unlockable position. If the unlocking operation fails, the BDC 50may attempt to relock the cycle 6 by rotating the movable member 12 backto the lockable position and rotating the locking member 24 back to thelocked position, send a notification about this error to the terminal,produce an error feedback to the user, send a power done message to theterminal, and return to low power sleep mode.

8. Upon successful unlocking, the BDC 50 may produce a success feedback(e.g., “OK” sound and/or a green LED) to the user and send a power donemessage to the terminal.

9. The BDC 50 may wait for the cycle present switch to become disabled,confirming that the docking station 2 is free of the cycle 6 (which maybe based on detection of whether the movable member 12 in the unlockableposition, detection of whether a connecting member 16 is in the lockingreceptacle 10, or both), which is probably in the possession of theuser. When the cycle present switch becomes disabled, the BDC 50 maysend a notification to the terminal. If the user encounters a defectwith the cycle 6, a cycle defect button 74 may be available that theuser can press to request a cancellation of the transaction.

10. The BDC 50 may return to low power sleep mode.

In some embodiments, the BDC 50 may omit requesting power from theterminal if the total maximum current for one docking station 2 does notexceed the power carrying capacity of the cables or the power supplycapability of the system. It may be advantageous to retain this,however, because it may prevent a large number of users simultaneouslyreturning cycles 6 from causing an overcurrent that blows the system'sfuse or fuses. In this regard, a large number may be any number inexcess of what the system can support without implementing powerrequests. This large number may be a function of the total maximumcurrent for one docking station 2, the current carrying capacity of thecables, and the main fuse value. The total maximum current for a dockingstation 2 may depend on the size of the motor 22, the motor 22 beingselected to obtain a good compromise of raw torque and speed. Thecurrent carrying capacity of the cables depends on the gauge. As thegauge is lowered, the current capacity increases, but the price alsoincreases. Lower gauge also increases bending difficulty, which does notease installation. The power request feature may lead to cost savingsdue to less conductive material and easier installation whilemaintaining reliability.

This invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and the arrangement of components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention iscapable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carriedout in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used hereinis for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,”or “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass theitems listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additionalitems.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of thisinvention, it is to be appreciated that various alterations,modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled inthe art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intendedto be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spiritand scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description anddrawings are by way of example only.

What is claimed is:
 1. A locking mechanism for locking a connectingmember secured to an object, the locking mechanism comprising: a lockingreceptacle configured to receive the connecting member; a movable memberpositioned in the locking receptacle, the movable member having alockable position and an unlockable position; and a locking memberhaving a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein: the lockingmember is configured to secure the movable member when the movablemember is in the lockable position and the locking member is in thelocked position, the movable member is configured to secure theconnecting member when the movable member is in the lockable positionwhile the connecting member is disposed within the locking receptacle,and the locking member is configured to move to switch between thelocked position and the unlocked position.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein: the movable member is configured to move between the lockableposition and the unlockable position, and the locking member isconfigured to rotate to switch between the locked position and theunlocked position.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the movablemember is configured to rotate from the unlockable position to thelockable position based on force applied by the connecting member to themovable member.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the locking membercomprises a lock side and an unlock side, wherein the lock side includesa tab.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: the tab is configured to bein a path of rotation of the movable member when the locking member isin the locked position, and the tab is configured to be out of the pathof rotation of the movable member when the locking member is in theunlocked position.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the lockingmember comprises a cylindrical shaft configured to axially rotate toswitch between the locked position and the unlocked position.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein: the movable member is configured to beout of a path of displacement of the connecting member when the movablemember is in the unlockable position, the movable member is configuredto be in the path of displacement of the connecting member when themovable member is in the lockable position, the apparatus comprises abicycle rental station configured to receive the connecting member, andthe connecting member comprises a triangular portion and a projectionextending from the triangular portion.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7,wherein: the projection comprises a first edge and a second edge,opposite the first edge of the projection, the movable member comprisesa first edge and a second edge, opposite the first edge of the movablemember, the locking member is configured to rotate about an axisperpendicular to an axis of rotation of the movable member, movement ofthe movable member positions the second edge of the movable memberadjacent the second edge of the projection when the movable member is inthe second position, the force applied by the connecting member to themovable member comprises force applied by the first edge of theprojection against the first edge of the movable member, and a ratio ofa first distance to a second distance is between 3 to 1 and 7 to 1, thefirst distance being from the axis of rotation of the movable member toa point of contact between the locking member and the movable member,the second distance being from the axis of rotation of the movablemember to a point of contact between the connecting member and themovable member.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the connectingmember comprises an aperture not used by the locking mechanism to securethe connecting member, the object comprises a bicycle, and the lockingmechanism comprises a portion of a bicycle rental station, the bicyclerental station including a user interface configured to receive inputfrom a user to control a bicycle rental transaction.
 10. A method foroperating a locking mechanism on a structure to lock an object to thestructure, the method comprising: receiving a connecting member attachedto the object in a locking receptacle of the locking mechanism, theconnecting member comprising a projection having a first edge and asecond edge, opposite the first edge of the projection; rotating amovable member from a first position to a second position due to forceapplied by the first edge of the projection against a first edge of themovable member, wherein the movable member comprises a second edgeopposite the first edge of the movable member, and rotation of themovable member positions the second edge of the movable member adjacentthe second edge of the projection when the movable member is in thesecond position; and displacing an additional member into a positionadjacent the movable member at which the additional member blocksrotation of the movable member from the second position toward the firstposition.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein: the projection extendsfrom a triangular portion of the connecting member, moving theadditional member comprises rotating the additional member about an axisperpendicular to an axis of rotation of the movable member, the firstposition comprises an unlockable position, the second position comprisesa lockable position, and a ratio of a first distance to a seconddistance is between 3 to 1 and 7 to 1, the first distance being from theaxis of rotation of the movable member to a point of contact between thelocking member and the movable member, the second distance being fromthe axis of rotation of the movable member to a point of contact betweenthe connecting member and the movable member.
 12. The method of claim10, wherein: at least a portion of the movable member is C-shaped, theposition adjacent the movable member at which the additional memberblocks the rotation of the movable member comprises a locked position,the structure comprises a bicycle rental station including a userinterface, the object comprises a bicycle, and the method furthercomprises: receiving, via the user interface, input from a user tocontrol a rental of the bicycle; receiving, from a terminal connected tothe bicycle rental station, a signal indicating the rental of thebicycle; displacing the additional member into a position at which theadditional member is out of a path of rotation of the movable member;and rotating the movable member from the second position to the firstposition.
 13. An object management system comprising: a plurality ofdocking stations; and a terminal connected to the plurality of dockingstations by a network, wherein at least one of the plurality of dockingstations comprises: a key reader configured to read a key; and a lockingmechanism for locking a connecting member secured to an object, thelocking mechanism comprising: a locking receptacle configured to receivethe connecting member; a movable member positioned in the lockingreceptacle, the movable member having a lockable position and anunlockable position; and a locking member having a locked position andan unlocked position, wherein: the locking member is configured tosecure the movable member when the movable member is in the lockableposition and the locking member is in the locked position, the movablemember is configured to secure the connecting member when the movablemember is in the lockable position while the connecting member isdisposed within the locking receptacle, and the locking member isconfigured to move to switch between the locked position and theunlocked position.
 14. The object management system of claim 13,wherein: the movable member is configured to move between the lockableposition and the unlockable position, and the locking member isconfigured to rotate to switch between the locked position and theunlocked position.
 15. The object management system of claim 14,wherein: the movable member is configured to rotate from the unlockableposition to the lockable position based on force applied by theconnecting member to the movable member, based on a signal received fromthe terminal, the locking member is configured to rotate from the lockedposition to the unlocked position and the movable member is configuredto rotate from the lockable position to the unlockable position, and aratio of a first distance to a second distance is between 3 to 1 and 7to 1, the first distance being from an axis of rotation of the movablemember to a point of contact between the locking member and the movablemember, the second distance being from the axis of rotation of themovable member to a point of contact between the connecting member andthe movable member.
 16. The object management system of claim 13,wherein: the locking member comprises a lock side and an unlock side,wherein the unlock side includes a tab.
 17. The object management systemof claim 16, wherein: the tab is configured to be in a path of rotationof the movable member when the locking member is in the locked position,and the tab is configured to be out of the path of rotation of themovable member when the locking member is in the unlocked position. 18.The object management system of claim 13, wherein: at least a portion ofthe movable member is C-shaped, the locking member comprises acylindrical shaft configured to axially rotate to switch between thelocked position and the unlocked position, the at least one of theplurality of docking stations comprises a bicycle rental stationincluding a user interface, the object comprises a bicycle, and the atleast one of the plurality of docking stations is configured to:receive, via the user interface, input from a user to control a rentalof the bicycle; receive, from the terminal, a signal indicating therental of the bicycle; cause the locking member to rotate to theunlocked position; and cause the movable member to rotate to theunlockable position.
 19. The object management system of claim 13,wherein: the movable member is configured to be out of a path ofdisplacement of the connecting member when the movable member is in theunlockable position, and the movable member is configured to be in thepath of displacement of the connecting member when the movable member isin the lockable position.
 20. The object management system of claim 13,wherein: the connecting member comprises an aperture not used by thelocking mechanism to secure the connecting member.